need help with transistor obsidian

[Marcos - Munky]

Some time ago, I tried to build another Obsidian, this time with onboard pots, so I don't need to use shielded wires for the pots, also they will hold the board in the enclosure. I used the same schematic I used for my first working Obsidian, the one down the post (sorry Joe, I don't know if I can post your earlier schematics, but this one isn't posted in anywhere and I need it to the people try to help me). It didn't worked at the first attempt, so after a few debug time today, got it to work. But it doesn't sound anything near my other Obsidian. This one have lots of gain and it sounds over-compressed. So my question is how I can low the gain (wow, never though I would ask how to low the gain on a distortion )? I believe this will solve my problem.

Here's the schematic I used:

[petemoore]

  Maybe listen to single stages w/audio probe..say the first stage of the one you like, then compare sound and voltage measurements of the second one to that.
  First two...of the first and second Obsidian builds, to compare and try to ferret out 'what's happeing where'...
 

[Dave_B]

Are you sure the Obsidian is what you want?  I've got the mosfet version and it's definately a high-gain pedal.  I assume the transistor version is the same, right?

[aron]

Also try and match the transistors as well (hFE wise). AFAIK the Obisidian is wicked distortion - not mellow.

[Marcos - Munky]

Thanks a lot for the help, it was way faster that I was hoping. I will try to check voltages between both stages, also do a audio probe in the second stage. I did a audio probe in the whole circuit, but didn't tried to do a audio probe in the second stage using it as a isolated stage. But I believe my problem is with the gain, that is above the gain of my other Obsidian.

[WGTP]

IIRC this version came out just prior to the Blackfire.  After that, the Obsidian name went back to being used for the Mosfet circuits, and this version faded away.   

[petemoore]

 Unlike the Blackfire which has no crossing wires, the Obsidian has many of them, and each stage is a bit more complex than 'yer average gain stage'.
  No reason IMO that this one should have faded away, really great High Gain sounding pedal. I built two of them, each time I ended up with a gangly mess that worked...for a while.
  Very thick sounding distortion, lotsa bite on note attacks, sustainey...cool pedal.